In modem computing environments and work settings, users are able to perform an ever increasing amount of tasks. From working in multiple computer applications in a concurrent manner and responding to incoming communications such as phones, emails, instant messages and so forth, users are faced with a number of time-demands in order to satisfy external entities while also completing the task at hand. In a typical desktop scenario, a user may be typing in a word processing application, completing a presentation application for an upcoming meeting, filling out a spreadsheet regarding project needs, and completing items in a task scheduler to indicate project milestones and activities. At the same time calls and emails may bid for the user's attention which adds to the complexity of completing existing activities on time. In some cases, users may ignore incoming messages in order to complete what is perceived to be higher priority tasks.
Although deferring messages or other requests for the user's attention may allow users to complete current work while avoiding interruption, this may not be in the user's best interest. For example, an urgent message from a supervisor indicating that a new task should begin immediately while delaying a current task would provide a new priority framework in which the user should be made aware of as soon as possible. Alternatively, if users are constantly interrupted with requests for their attention outside the task at hand, productivity can suffer when concentration is continually broken to focus on each distraction that may occur outside of the given task. Thus, modern workers are often challenged to strike a balance between focusing on important activities that need to be completed for productivity purposes at the same time trying to process interruptions that may have high urgency requiring the user's immediate attention.